Global Marketplace Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global Marketplace - Dissertation Example As of the year 2012, the nations of India and China are the largest producers of graduates all around the world (Coughlan, 2012). This oversupply of qualified human talent is lowering the competition for talent in the markets of India and China and as a result leading to lowering of job costs in these specific markets. Additionally, in analysing the scenario from the financial as well as strategic perspective, the currency difference that exists between the Western and Eastern nations of the globe are further generating lucrative options for organizations of the West who can get the desired jobs done at much lower costs from the low cost talent base available in the market of the East. The influence of the macro economics and market dynamics of the various nations also has to be taken into consideration while trying to gauge the factors that are fuelling outsourcing. The stress in the economic growth of the global nations is directly creating pressures on the manpower costs that can be handled by the organizations. The organization management trends reveal that companies are opting for lean staffing and high employee productivity. Routine restructuring of the work force by organizations are leading to discharging of skilled employees who are again opting forward to cover their own lifestyle expenses by working in a freelancing mode. This is indirectly triggering the demand for freelancing in an indirect manner (Pattison, 2009). To leverage the advantage emerging out of low cost skilled talent available in the global markets, especially from the nations of the East, the organizations of the global markets are turning to outsourcing of jobs of certain levels. Also, the factors of... This paper stresses that talking in regards to role conflict, it can be said that this factor might emerge in virtual teams as the various employees who are working for an organization as a part of the virtual team are spread in different geographical location. The lack of face to face interaction among the team member automatically leads to the lack of coordination within the team. This might automatically trigger a potential conflict in regards to the roles that are supposed to be performed by the various remotely operating members of the virtual teams. As a process of resolving these issues, the HR department of the organization dealing with international HRM issues should focus on clear role definition for the employees working as a part of the virtual team of an organization This essay makes a conclusion that in discussing about the interpersonal relationships and work relationships, it is important to consider that since the members of the virtual team are operating in a remote manner, there is a tremendous lack of interaction among the team members of both formal as well as informal nature. From the point of group dynamics, it needs to be stated that for smooth operating of any team, it is important to promote mutual interaction within the team members. For the process of promoting interaction among the team members working in a virtual team, the HR department of the organization needs to encourage the team leader responsible for supervising the virtual team to promote mutual interaction among the team members of both formal and informal manner.

Critical Observation Essay Example for Free

Critical Observation Essay The aspect of psychological basically relates the scientific explanation regarding the behavioral characteristics and personality issue of an individual as a human being. In this field, the critical aspects of personality development and behavioral characteristics of each person as unique and individual beings are explored relating to their social action and behavior. Included in this approach are the study of the significant issues and elements relating to the development and the establishment of the behavior and personality of each person particularly on the critical conditions such as abnormalities and psychological problems. Indeed, the psychological field discusses the human psyche and the establishment of the characteristics and qualities relating to the biological and physiological basis of their personality and behavior. There are several important issues and elements that are critical in the study of the psychological aspect of each individual particularly on the focusing of explaining his or her present condition or behavioral characteristics. On this aspect, a specific approach in line to the psychological research is employed to determine the relevant elements, contributory factors and the influential system to the present behavioral characteristics of each person. Several of the common approaches to this research aspect are the observation method, profiling, interview and others in which the researchers try to uncover and determine the possible cause and contributory element explaining the present behavioral characteristic and psychological problem of the subject. Through determining the primary root and the possible influences to the manifestation of the problem, further understanding can be facilitated which promotes awareness to the psychological characteristic of the involved person. As an actual example of the aspect of psychological research, consider the exercise conducted by the author of this paper wherein a specific approach were used to determine, understand, and explain the possible causes and the significant influences to the development of certain behavioral issue of a chosen subject. The subject established in this exercise is a female classmate of the researcher that displays a certain critical behavioral condition namely the alcoholism and smoking problem of the said person. As the person of this exercise, the researcher wishes to determine and the primary causes and specific influences to the development of this personal issue which is manifested in her social interaction. As a primary approach, the researcher first resorted to observation method and background profiling wherein she learned that the behavioral problem of the subject is commonly displayed when she is with peers of her social group. As observed, the likely need for the said behavioral issue only comes or is displayed when the subject is socializing, bonding with friends, and during social events. It is also noted that the subject spends most of her time for the said activities making the manifestation of her behavioral problems to be common in her daily routine and contributing to the development of this psychological issue. Proceeding after the observation is the interview approach wherein the researcher will evaluate the said psychological issue through based on the exposition and perspective of the subject. As she relates, the said issues namely the alcoholism and smoking have already became a habitual act on her part. It first started as her medium to deal with her personal problems and as a bonding grounds for her peers and friends which eventually developed into a behavioral routine. She also expressed that the said actions and issues are only exhibited while she is engage to social interaction and activities and are only passive when she is alone. Another particular element she expressed emphasis on her story is the issue of her family situation wherein she must also deal with the separation and certain conflicts between her parents. Living under these conditions, she started to resort to external means to adapt to her situation and gain stability over her problems. Based from the facts and factors gathered through the different approaches employed in determining the nature of the behavioral condition and issue of the subject, a form of evaluation will be conducted to determine the possible nature of the said issue. As based from the observation and interview, the alcoholism and smoking problem of the subject is mainly attributed to two specific condition namely her personal family situation and her social characteristics. First, the behavioral problem of the subject manifest as her form of her adaptation process to her situation particularly with the separation of her parents. It is also established that the behavioral problem of the subject also started during this period making this among the primary causes of her problem. Second, is her social characteristic wherein the problem manifests as her approach of socializing, interacting and bonding with her friends who also share the same behavioral condition. It is likely that the subject learned the said behavior from her social group. Also, the constant practice and involvement of the subject of the said behavior with her social group led to the routinary development of the said act leading to its integration to her personality. Leading up to the possible solution, two particular approaches are important to address this behavioral problem effectively namely, to tackle her family situation and address the parental guidance crucial to her withdrawal and the change of her environment particularly separation from her social group who also practice the said problem. These two particular issues are the main causes of her behavioral problem as established from the conducted critical observation research. From the determination of the primary causes and the significant contributory elements, an effective approach to address the problem can be created through tackling the fundamental factors leading to the development of the general issue. Indeed, as displayed in the result of the conducted critical observation research, the application of the said aspect in the field of psychology promotes critical understanding and effective intervention measures for the behavioral issue and problems involved. Through determining the possible causes, the related circumstances, the contributory factors as related from observation, profiling, and interview, the involved researcher can draw an effective approach to intervene and address the problem at hand towards the development of a positive and healthy behavioral characteristic for the subject of the matter. Bibliography American Psychological Association (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association. 5th Edition. ISBN-10: 1557987912. Clark-Carter, Da (1997). Doing Quantitative Psychological Research: From Design To Report. Psychology Press, U. K. 1st Edition. ISBN-10: 0863777880. Grych, John H. Fincham, Frank D. (2001). Interparental Conflict and Child Development: Theory, Research and Applications. Cambridge University Press. 1st Edition. ISBN-10: 0521651425.

Artificial Intelligence and Approaches to Music Education

Artificial Intelligence and Approaches to Music Education Abstract The goal of this paper is to review the principal approaches to Music Education with a focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Music is a domain which requires creativity, problem-seeking and problem-solving respectively, from both learner and teacher, therefore is a challenging domain in Artificial Intelligence. It is argued that remedial intelligent tutoring-systems are inadequate for teaching a subject that requires open-ended thinking. Traditional classroom methods are sometimes favoured because tutors can focus on individual differences and enhance creativity and motivation. However, it can also be argued that AI is a mechanism which enables those without traditional musical skills to ‘create’ music. Almost the only goal that applies to music composition in general is ‘compose something interesting’ (Levitt, 1985). This paper will review different approaches to AI in Music Education. Approaches considered will be: Intelligent Tutoring Systems in Music; AI based Music Tools; highly interactive interfaces that employ AI theories. 1. Introduction This paper will review some of the approaches to using Artificial Intelligence in Music Education. This particular field is of high interdisciplinary and involves contributions from the fields of education, music, artificial intelligence (AI), the psychology of music, cognitive psychology, human computer interaction, philosophy, computer science and many others. AI in education itself is a very broad field, dating from around 1970 (Carbonell, 1970) and has its own theories, methodologies and technologies. For brevity, we will abbreviate Artificial Intelligence in Education to AI-ED, following a standard convention. Definitions The scope of AI in Education (AI-ED) is not decisive, so it will be useful to consider some definitions. A common definition is: any application of AI techniques or methodologies to educational systems. Other definitions which focus more narrowly are, for example: any computer-based learning system which has some degree of autonomous decision-making with respect to some aspect of its interaction with its users (Holland, 1995). This definition suggests the requirement that AI techniques reason with the user at the point of interaction. This might be in relation to best teaching approach, the subject being taught or any misconceptions or gaps in the student’s knowledge. However, AI-ED in a wider context is sometimes defined as: ‘the use AI methodologies and AI ways of thinking applied to discovering insights and methods for use in education, whether AI programs are involved at the point of delivery or not’ (Naughton, 1986). In practice, these contrasting approaches form a continuum. Music: An open-ended domain A useful distinction in AI-ED is between formalised domains and the more open-ended domains (‘domain’ means subject area to be taught). In relation to domains such as mathematics and Newtonian dynamics there are clear targets, correct answers and a reasonable clear and concise structure to follow for success. Whereas in open-ended domains such as music composition, there are in general, no clear goals, no set criteria to follow and no correct answers. The focus is based upon, as mentioned earlier, ‘Compose something interesting’ (Levitt, 1985). Rittel and Webber (1984) describe this particular problem in domains as ‘wicked problems’. In such domains there cannot be a definitive formulation for the problem or the answer. Wicked domains such as music composition require learners to not just solve problems but also seek problems (Cook, 1994). The term problem seeking is used in a number of disciplines such as animal behaviour (Menzel, 1991). Cook (1994) imported the term into AI in Education in particular reference to the sense of philosopher Lipman (1991). In this sense Cook (1994) refers to the term ‘problem seeking’ as follows: Problems are treated as ill-defined and open-ended There is a continual intertwining of problem specification and solution Criteria for completion is very limited Context greatly affects the interpretation of the problem Problems are always open re-interpretation and re-conceptualisation In relation to expressive performing arts and music composition there is no goal or problem to be solved. The learner must find or create goals and problems which then may need to be revised, modified and rejected where best suited to his/her taste. 2. Computer-Aided Instruction It is worth considering briefly the music education programs that negligibly use AI as a background to AI approaches in education. Historically, computers used in music, and most other subjects, were associated with the theory of learning behaviourism. These particular systems (branching teaching programs) stepped through the following algorithm (O’Shea and Holland, 1983), Present a ‘frame’ to the student i.e. Present the student with pre-stored material (textual or audio visual) Solicit a response from the student Compare the response with pre-stored alternative responses Give any pre-stored comment associated with the response Look up the next frame to present on the basis of the response An example of this kind of system was the GUIDO ear-training system (Hofstetter, 1981). Branching teaching programs tend to respond to the user in a manner that has more or less been explicitly pre-planned by the author. Therefore, this tends to limit the approach to a simple treatment. Multimedia and Hypermedia Multimedia and hypermedia has had a great impact on music education and transformed music education software programs, giving a different emphasis from the earlier behaviourist programs. Recent educational music programs such as Seventh Heaven, Ear Trainer, Interval and Listen aim to provide practice in recognising or reproducing intervals, chords or melodies. MacGAMUT is a classroom simulation program that dictates exercises and provides a detailed marking scheme. Other programs such as MiBAC Music Lessons, Perceive and Practica Musica offer a comprehensive ear training program including scales, durations, modes and tuning. See Yavlow (1982) for information on the aforementioned programs. Since the domain is relatively clear-cut and non-problematic, ear training and music theory are popular methods in non-AI music education programs. There are many useful musical computer tools applicable to education such as music editors, sequencers, computer-aided composition tools, multimedia reference tools on CD-ROM Masterworks and much more. 3. Intelligent Tutoring Systems for Music: A ‘Classical’ Approach The history of AI in education can be divided into two periods, the ‘classical’ period (1970 – 1987) and the ‘modern’ period (1987 to present day). In the classical period, the three component ‘traditional’ model of an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) was the most common and influential idea. This model was sometimes extended to a four component model. After 1987, ideas had shifted to finding alternative ways around the traditional model. However, this was limited due to research available at those times, and the traditional model remains influential and is still used to the present day. Each of the three components of the traditional model can be considered a separate ‘expert’ system’. The traditional ITS model (Sleeman and Brow, 1982) consists of three AI components, each an expert in its own area. The first component, the domain model, is an expert in the subject being taught. So in the case of a vocal tutor, the domain expert itself would be able to perform vocal tasks. This requirement is essential if the system is to be able to answer unforeseen questions in relation to the task in hand. The second component is the student model. Its purpose is to build a model of the student’s knowledge, capabilities and attitudes. This will allow the system to vary its approach in accordance to the individual student. In essence, the student model can be viewed as a checklist of skills. This is sometimes modelled as an overlay i.e. a tick list of the elements held in the domain. Sophisticated models may view it as a deliberately distorted element or a faulty ‘expert’ system. These errors are intended to mirror a student’s misconceptions. A fair diagnosis of a student’s knowledge, skills, capabilities and beliefs is often a hard problem in AI. One partial way around the diagnosis problem would be to ask the student about their capabilities, beliefs, previous experience and so on. A more stringent approach is to set the student tasks specifically designed to analyse their skills. The results can then be used to construct the student model. The third component of the traditional ITS model is the teaching model. Typically, this may consist of teaching strategies such as Socratic tutoring, coaching and teaching by analogy (Elsom-Cook, 1990), to simply allowing the student to explore available materials unhindered, with or without the guidance of a human teacher. The fourth component is an interactive user interface for the tasks mentioned, if it is used. Note that not all Intelligent Tutoring Systems consist of all three components. It is common to have a central focus on one maybe two components, and omit, or greatly simplify the others. In particular, most ITS’s in music focus on the expert or student model. Irrespective of the emphasis, ITS models require an explicit, formalisable knowledge of the task. However, many skills in music correspond to wicked problems and are resistant to explicit formalisation. This narrows the number of areas ITS models can be applied to in music education. An example area is Harmonisation. It is one of the few musical topics for which relatively detailed, rules of thumb can be found in a textbook. But even here, the traditional ITS model may not be effective. There are two systems from the classical ITS period, which are good examples of the potential and limitations of the ITS approach in music, Vivace and Macvoice. 3.1 Vivace: An expert system Vivace is a four-part chorale writing system, created by Thomas (1985). Vivace is not an ITS model in itself, yet has formed the basis of one. It takes an eighteenth century chorale melody and writes a bass line and two inner voices that fit the melody. It uses text from books, abstracted from the practice of past composers, to employ rules and guidelines for harmonisation. These rules can be categorized into four types: firm requirements, preferences, firm prohibitions, less firm prohibitions. There are three specific problems which can be identified for any human or machine when trying to harmonise on the basis of the rules. The first problem is indeed common in beginners’ classes, to satisfy all the formal rules and produce a composition which is correct but aesthetically unsatisfactory. The second problem is that most of the guidelines are prohibitions rather than positive suggestions. Milton Babbit observes that ‘the rules†¦are not intended to tell you what to do, but what not to do’ (Pierce, 1983). In other words, if we view harmonisation as a typical AI ‘generate and test’ problem, the rules constitute weak help in the testing phase, but little help in well focused generation. The third problem is that it is quite impossible to satisfy all of the preferences at any one given time. Some preference rules may have to be broken. A clear order of importance of preference rules is not assigned by traditional descriptions in fact, it is not at all clear that any fixed order would make sense. However, it is possible to write a rule-based system that implements text book rules. In principle, a traditional ITS system can use these rules to criticise student’s work and serve as a model of the expertise they are supposed to acquire. In relation to the limits aforementioned, how useful or effective would such a tutor be? Thomas used the tutor to illuminate the limitations of the theory. By using Vivace, Thomas was able to establish that text book rules are an inadequate characterisation when performing such a task at expert level. Thomas discovered using only conventional rules about range and movement the tenors voice would most certainly move to the top of its range and stay there. Thomas suggested that there must be a set of missing rules and metra-rules to fill theses gaps. He used a Vivace experimental tool to establish this gap. In each experiment Thomas had to use his intuition to decide upon whether the results were musically viable or not. Thomas discovered that many of the traditional rules were overstated or needed redefining. He also unveiled new guideline and was able to understand the task at a more strategic level. With the assistance f her human pupils, Thomas formulated a number of heuristics for ‘what to do’ rather than ‘not what to do’. Experiments with Vivace enabled Thomas to realise the need to make human pupils aware of high level phase structure prior to detailed chord writing. As a result of her experiments, Thomas was able to use her new knowledge about the task, as a result of ‘teaching’ her expert system, and write a new teaching text book based on her findings. Part of this knowledge was used in a simple commercial ITS, which criticises student’s voice-leading (MacVoice). 3.2 MacVoice MacVoice criticises voice-leading aspects of four part harmonisation. It is a Macintosh program based on the expert system Vivace. The MacVoice also includes a music editor as part of its interface. MacVoice makes it possible to input any note, any chord at a time or a voice at a time, or notes in any disconnected fashion. As soon as a note is placed on the stave, it will display its guess as to the function of the corresponding chord in the form of an annotated Roman numerical. Three are two important limitations of this system as follows: firstly, all chords must form Homophonic blocks (all notes must be of the same duration); and secondly, the piece must be in a single key. There is one other menu function, called ‘voice-leading’.This particular function inspects the harmonisation in line with a set of base rules for voice-leading, indicating any errors. MacVoice is quite flexible to use. MacVoice has been used practically at Carnegie Mellon University. MacVoice does not give positive strategic advice. It only points out errors. It does not address the efficiency or any other benefits of the chord sequences involved. Further research on this topic may include a visual display of what the voice-leading constraints are, or the possible preferred outcomes. 3.3 Lasso Lasso was formalised by Lux (1725). It is an intelligent tutoring system designed for the 16th century counterpart and is limited to two voices. Newcomb’s approach focuses on intending to provide simple and consistent guidelines to help students know what is required to pass exams. The process of codification of the necessary knowledge goes beyond that of text book rules and guidance. Like Thomas, Newcomb was aware of this, however, approached it using a probabilistic manner, analysing scores to find out such facts as ‘the allowable ratio of skip to non-skip melodic intervals’ and ‘how many eighth note passages can be expected to be found in a piece of a given length’ (Newcomb, 1985). Also, the knowledge used for criticising students work is being coded as branch procedural code. There are also unvarying canned error messages, help messages and congratulatory messages. This will assist students, offering some form of motivation. Lasso is a very impressive system. It has a quality musical editor, tackles complex musical paradigm and has been used in real teaching contexts. However, there are some intrinsic problems. The rules are at a very low level, and there are a high number of them. There is a system rule which prevents over one hundred comments being made about any one given attempt to complete an exercise. For example, typical remarks made by Lasso include; â€Å"A melodic interval of a third is followed by stepwise motion in the same direction.† â€Å"Accented quarter passing note? The dissonant quarter note is not preceded by a descending step.† (Newcomb, 1985). The quantity of relevant text required to put in help context of myriad low-level criticisms could easily overwhelm students. Students complained that it was so difficult to meet Lasso’s demands that they were forced to revise the same task repeatedly. A solution to this problem would be to incorporate general principles to govern the low-level rules. Using such codified principles will reduce the number of comments required to relevant text and generalise observations. 3.4 Concluding remarks on Intelligent Tutoring Systems: A ‘Classical Approach’ The traditional Intelligent Tutoring System approach assumes an objectivist approach to knowledge. Such systems depend on the assumption there is a well-defined body of knowledge to be taught and can be put into precise concepts and relationships. This works with four-part harmonisation and 16th century counterparts. However, in a more open-ended context, an objectivist approach can be very limited. In domains which are artificially limited, teaching of rules drawn from practical experience tends not be a very good approach. Using verbal definitions to teach a musical concept is limited and does not compare to the knowledge required to identify the true meaning of these definitions to be an experienced musician. It is all very well to define a chord, a dominant eighth in terms of its interval pattern and provide general rules but to an experienced musician the ‘meaning’ of a chord or a dominant eight is much more depending on the context. Being able to intelligently manipulate structures is far more important than to just being able to understand and obey a set of rules, which an experienced musician will be capable of doing so. Rather than just a set of explanations, a student needs a structured set of experiences making them more aware of musical structures, being able to manipulate them intelligently and most importantly, more capable of formulating sensible musical goals to pursue. 4. Open-ended Microworlds: The Logo Philosophy A contrasted idea from the classical approach of AI in education, which is just as influential as the notion of an ITS is the Logo approach (Papert, 1980). The Logo philosophy has particular attractions to open-ended domains such as music. It focuses its approach on the idea of an educational microworld. An educational microworld is an open-ended environment for learning. Therefore, there are no specific built-in lessons. The Logo approach in associated microworlds does not need to involve much, or indeed any AI at point of delivery. However, their designs tend to be strongly influenced by AI methodologies and tools. A simple version of AI programming language is used to build microworlds. Students are encouraged to write or modify programs as a means of exploring the domain. Logo doubles as the name of programming language based on Lisp, used for just this purpose. There are three distinct elements in the Logo approach: Logo (and similar languages) as a programming tool; Logo as a vehicle for expressing various AI theories for educational purposes; and Logo as an educational philosophy. Firstly, we will briefly explore Logo as an educational philosophy. In its early work, Logo was mainly used for mathematics learning, poetry and music. One of the versions encouraged children to produce new melodies by rearranging and modifying melodic phrases. The learning philosophy was aimed to enable children to have a better understanding of the concept by making them envision or pre-hear a result. Thus, enabling them to work out how to achieve it, and realise the reason behind obtaining an unexpected result. This learning philosophy was derived from a number of sources, including the psychologist Piaget’s notions of how children construct their own knowledge through play. The Logo approach in relation to microworlds can be somewhat complex. Students are sometimes provided with a simplified version of an AI model in some problem domains. For example, in the case of music composition, fragments of illustrative material can be generated using generative grammars as models of particular composition techniques. The supplied programs can be used by students to explore, criticise, and refine their own (or someone else’s) model of process. Notice that none of the three components in the ITS model are required in the Logo approach. In practice, students need some form of guidance from teachers in order to make use of their full potential using Logo systems. If there is no guidance from a teacher the students risks only learning a technique without appreciating the wider possibilities and understanding the true meaning of being an experienced musician. The educational philosophy associated with Logo has been applied to a number of systems in music at different levels and in different ways, as mentioned below. 4.1 Music Logo System: Bamberger’s System Jeanne Bamberger’s Music Logo System (1986, 1991) can be used to work with sound cards or synthesisers. It uses programming elements called functions to structure and control musical sounds. Music Logo’s central data structure is a list of integers representing sequences of durations and pitches, which can be stored separately. These can be manipulated separately before being played by a synthesiser. So for example, to play A above middle C for 30 beats, then middle C for 20 beats, then G for 20 beats , the following expression might be used. Play [a c g] [30 20 20] Programming constructs such as repeat can easily be understood by beginners to do musical work. Using arithmetic and list manipulation functions, note and duration list can be manipulated separately. Features such as recursion and random number generators can be used to build complex musical structures. Common musical operations are provided (list manipulation functions). For example, one function takes a duration a pitch list and generates a number of repetitions of the phrase shifted at each repetition by a constant pitch increment, creating a simple sequence (in a musical sense of the term). Bamberger’s Music Logo System also provides other musical functions, such as retrograde (reverses a pitchlist), invert (processes a pitch list to the complimentary values within an octave), and fill (makes a list of all intermediate pitches between two specified pitches). To try and guess a musical outcome, manipulate lists and procedures or conversely iteratively manipulating lists of representations to try to reproduce something previously imagined, Bamberger suggests many simple exercises. These techniques, in many ways, are a reflection of educational techniques suggested by Laurillard (1993) for general use in higher education. There are two particular classes of phenomena suggested by Bamberger, which emphasises the importance of ‘shock’ and learning experiences. Firstly, perceptions of phrase boundaries occur in melodic and rhythmic fragments dependent upon small manipulations of the duration list. Secondly, there is an unpredictable difference between degree of change in the data structure and the degree of the perceived change produced. In priniciple, the Logo system allows students to focus on manipulating any kind of musical structuring technique. However, in practice the focus tends to be on simple, small scale structures such as motives, and their transformation. 4.2 A series of microworlds: Loco Peter Desain and Henkjan Honing developed a series of microworlds and tools applying the Logo philosophy. The first series was the LOCO (Desain and Honing, 1986, 1992). The second was POCO (Honing, 1990), followed by Expresso (Honing, 1992) and LOCO-Sonnet (Deasin and Honing, 1996). All of these microworlds carefully reflect the thought behind AI methodologies and how they can be applied to music education. LOCO is similar to Bamberg’s Logo, in the sense it also focuses on music composition. The central component is a set of tools for representing sequences of musical events, which can be interfaced with any output device or instrument. It is also flexible enough to take input from practically any composition system. Microworlds provided each offer tools for useful style-independent composition techniques, particularly stochastic processes and context free music grammars. Two musical objects provided essentially are just ‘rests’ and ‘notes.’ LOCO’s time structuring mechanism is simple and elegant. There two relations, Parallel and Sequential – used to combine arbitrary musical objects. Sequential is a function which causes musical objects in an argument list to be played one after another, whereas, Parallel is a function that causes arguments to be played simultaneously. It is quite simple to nest a parallel structure within a sequential structure, and vice versa. Sequential and Parallel objects are treated as data which can be computed and manipulated before they are played. The result- arbitrary time structuring can be applied with much flexibility. As mentioned earlier, LOCO provides a base for composing using stochastic processes and free grammar context. Various effects can be produced, depending on how variables are defined, including; A random choice among its possible values A choice weighted by a probability distribution A random choice in which previous values cannot recur until all other values have been chosen Selection of a value in a fixed circular order The above are easily put together using composition (in a mathematical sense) of functions. For example, the value of an increment could be specified as a stochastic variable. This can produce a variable that performs a Brownian random walk. Brownian variables can be used, for example, as arguments in commands to instruments within a time-structured framework. These techniques can be used to construct concise, easy to read programs for transition nets and other stochastic processes. Using general programming language in each case, the operation of a program can be modified. See Ames (1989) for more information in the compositional uses of Markov chains. The primary design goals of LOCO include ease of use by non-programmers to experts. A more recent version of LOCO, LOCO-Sonnet mirrors LOCO but also includes a graphical front end. Sonnet is a domain independent data flow language originally designed for adding sound to user interfaces drawn from Jameson’s (1992) Sonnet. It is designed for use by both novices and experts alike. LOCO has been used in workshops for novices and professionals and even has courseware available. 4.3 Concluding comments on the Logo approach The Logo approach is known to be associated with constructivism. Constructivism, in the aspect of knowledge and learning, suggests that even in the cases where ‘objectively true knowledge, exists simply presenting it to a student limits the effects of their learning. It based on the assumption that learning arises from learners being interactive with the world, which will force them to construct their own knowledge. The result of this ‘knowledge’ will vary between individuals creating unique ideas and outcomes. This fits in very well with open-ended domains such as music where the basis of knowledge is learning how to create your ‘own’ masterpiece. Unlike classical Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Logo requires intensive support from a human teacher. This can be viewed as both weakness and strength of the program. Intelligent Tutoring Systems and the Logo approach were both influential ideas of AI in education in the early years. As both strengths and limitations were noted over the years, combining characteristics of the two became a prime focus of research which led to Interactive Learning Environments (ILE). We will talk about this after a brief discussion on AI-based tools. 5. Applications in Education: focus on AI-based tools There are a number of application tools employing AI but its purpose is not primarily educational. However, it is useful to consider some of these systems as they nevertheless have clear educational applications. There are quite a few programming languages based on AI languages such as LISP and CLOS that have a relatively similar technical aspect to that of the Music Logo systems described earlier. However, the philosophy of use may be quite different. The commercial system Symbolic Composer (for Macintosh and Atari) is one example of this difference. It has a vast library of functions, including neural nets facilities, used for processing, generating and transforming musical data and processes, commonly built on Lisp. The system is primarily aimed at composers and researchers. Another culture which offers an educational paradigm with many links to AI culture is the Smalltalk culture. An example of such a system is Pachet’s (1994) MusES environment, implemented in Smalltalk 80. It is aimed at experimenting with knowledge representation techniques in tonal music. MuSES includes systems for harmonisation, analysis and improvisation. Finally, an example of a commercial program is Band in a Box (Binary Designs, 1996). It takes a chord sequence as input and at output can play an accompaniment based on the chord in a wide variety of styles. At one moment in time this would have required AI techniques but in today’s era it is a conventional method. 6. Supporting learning with Computational Models of Creativity 6.1 A cognitive support framework: constraint-based model of creativity â€Å"I noticed that the [drawing] teacher didn’t tell people much†¦.Instead, he tried to inspire us to experiment with new approaches. I thought of how we teach physics: we have so many techniques-so many mathematical methods – that we never stop telling the students how to do things. On the other hand, the drawing teacher is afraid to teach you anything. If your lines are very heavy, the teacher can’t say â€Å"your lines are too heavy† because some artist has figured out a way of making great pictures using heavy lines. The teacher doesn’t want to push you in some particular direction. So the drawing teacher has this problem of communicating how to draw by osmosis and not by instruction, while the physics teacher has the problem of always teaching techniques, rather than spirit of how to go about solving physical problem† Feynman (1986) â€Å"John and I†¦.were quite happy to nick things off people, because†¦you start off with the nicked piece and it gets into a the song†¦and when you’ve put it all together†¦of course it does make something original† Paul McCartney quoted in (Moore, 1992) There are limitations present in both traditional AI approaches in education mentioned earlier (ITS and Logo). ITS’s don not work very well in problem-seeking domains and Logo type approaches require support from a human teacher in order to be effective. One way of investigating these problems has been addressed by MC (Holland, 1989, 1991; Holland and Elsom-Cook, 1990). ‘MC’ is an acronym for both ‘Meta Constraints’ and ‘Master of Ceremonies’, which is a general framework for interactive learning environments in open-ended domains. We will focus on the domain model rather than the teaching model. The current version is designed at teaching ab initio students to compose tonal chord sequences, with partic

The Charity Organization Society Essay -- Sociology, Social Control

1. The Charity Organization Society was based in the scientific movement of organizations. Workers believed that charity work needed more definition and organization and that charity should be focused more on individual need rather than as a whole population. Focusing on individual need was intended to improve relief operations while making resources more efficient. They also intended to eliminate public outdoor relief. With the promotion of more organization and efficiency the new Charity Organization Societies were born. Trattner states that these new requirements for organization and efficiency spread so â€Å"rapidly that within 6 years 25 cities had such organizations and by the turn of the century there were some 138 of them in existence† (Trattner, 1999). The reformation of the Charity Organizations didn’t grant relief themselves however they served as a resource to simplify the transaction of relief to relief applicants by: maintaining relief applicant requests, records of the aid given to them, and referring those worthy or unworthy to the proper agencies (Trattner, 1999). Their goal was to eradicate fraud and duplicity of services while also maintaining efficiency and treating poverty. The charity organization movement intended to treat poverty by enacting â€Å"friendly visitors† to look into each case and define the cause of destitution while also watching for overlapping relief. These â€Å"friendly visitors† and their investigations were the cornerstone of the Charity Organization Society’s (C.O.S) treatment; granting aid without investigation was like giving medicine without diagnosis (Trattner, 1999). â€Å"Friendly visitors† were relied on heavily within the C.O.S in order to effectively assign services and determine which serv... ...mp in California a crowd of children crowded around Tommy’s mother while she was making soup and told all of them they could have some and to go get dishes. This was something that no one had really done for the Joads but it seemed they felt it was important to help those like themselves. Another scene that depicted cultural awareness was when they met the police officer at the gas station who explained to them he was from Indiana, where they had come from, and informed them to leave that town and go to the transient camp a few miles away so as they didn’t get a ticket. This was something that the officer may not have shared if they weren’t from the same region. After being dislocated from their home the Joads lost their home, their grandfather, their grandmother, and their son. Besides these things they also lost a part of their dignity but never their spirit.

Coffee and Starbucks Executives Essay

Starbucks developed continuously and rapidly after Howard Schultz bought it. It was entered in â€Å"Fortune 500 companies† in March 2003. Because of the saturation of the market, Starbucks can not only relied on the American market, but also had to venture abroad and paid close attention to the growth of subsidiaries. During the expansion, Starbucks stuck to its basic principles and innovated constantly to cater to the taste of the native. Although Starbucks was operated successfully, it also experienced losses in many countries and faced many challenges and risk. It is essential for MNCs to choose the right mode of entry in any markets and make structural changes to motivate strategic changes, even mature MNCs, which can transfer some risk. Starbucks decided to use three strategies to enter into the international markets-licensing, wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures. Every strategy has its advantages and disadvantages, so managers of Starbucks need to consider carefully before entering other countries. Starbucks makes the different ways to enter in the markets according to the different situations of countries. For instance, Canada is close to America so the cultures and the habit of drinking coffee are close too. Starbucks chooses wholly owned subsidiary type to enter Canadian market. Some Asian countries such as Japan and Hong Kong, China, Starbucks selects joint ventures to get in these countries because their taste of coffee is different from American’s. Moreover, the strategic adjustment of Starbucks was to cover over an area in new stores. That can not only assist to disperse consumers and reduce their waiting time, but also decrease the costs and increase revenues. It also innovated some new products and cooperated with local companies. Culture, government, environment and the condition of Starbucks, all these can affect the choice of strategy. In short, before choosing strategy, managers of Starbucks ought to analyze the SWOT of Starbucks, the key environmental factors and how will this strategy influence the development of the company. Starbucks went international because it wanted to seek new international markets and opportunities of growth. Starbucks did many good management and analysis of risk before entering into different markets. It further researched the prospect of the products in other countries’ markets. Then it tried to sell in the local fashionable shops and was operated by expert managers from Seattle. Starbucks persisted in keeping their No Smoking principle and broad floor area, which attracted many Japanese women. That is a successful alliance that through using its own resources and cooperating with Sazaby, it understood the Japanese habits of drinking coffee drinks and introduced new products. Starbucks realized that young people in Asian countries were interested in the western way of life so it seized that mentality and attracted them successfully. Starbucks adjusted constantly to adapt the cultures of the host countries. For example, it offered meat buns and curry puffs to Asian countries because Asians like eating some food when drinking coffee. It is popular that the best coffee around the world is in Europe. However, Starbucks executives thought that coffees in Europe now is not as great as in the late 1990s so stores were opened quickly and bravely in Europe. The romantic atmosphere, No Smoking environment and self-help service mode of operation were the main reasons that attracted the young. Also, Starbucks provided an independent region for Middle East ladies because of its distinct culture. From the above examples, it seems that Starbucks considered completely. It did internal analysis to use its key success factors to help the company make full use of the opportunities abroad. It also analyzed the culture and environmental risk of the local markets. Starbucks faced many challenges and risk in the international operation. Firstly, the unstable political environment of the Middle East is one of the problems for Starbucks. The close relationship between America and Israel made Arab students boycott American services and goods. This is the political risk to Starbucks. Secondly, Starbucks faced crisis from non-governmental organizations. They asked Starbucks to afford the authentication of coffee beans to insure the production of coffee beans was proceeded under a certain social and financial condition. This is the environmental risk. Thirdly, Starbucks has country risk that the economic recession in some countries made the sales and revenues dropped sharply. Fourthly, Starbucks faced drastic industrial competition, high costs of developing business and resistance from customers who objected to globalization, especially in Europe. This is the strategic risk. Fifthly, complex joint ventures and application license agreement, lack of well-trained employees and appropriate store address, all of these made Starbucks hard to gain more profit and control the costs of international operation. This is the operational risk. Starbucks try to reduce the risk in many methods. First and foremost, Starbucks decided to offer new products to control the costs of international operation. Then, it announced to slow down the pace of expansion and close the defective stores. Also, Starbucks should reconsider the entry strategy and keep a watchful eye on price. The most important is to be careful to the international environment because there are many factors can affect the Starbucks’ decision-making. Starbucks recombined its structure and changed its strategy with its internationalization.

Filipino film essays

Filipino film essays The film was great! Good selections of characters. The story line was terrific, you could even say its really happening here in our country, Philippines. The way the director put it together, the sequences, the climax and all that is just sure to capture the eyes of the audiences. The role-play was also one thing I know and I can say for a fact that they fit every single character in the film. Even Jericho Rosales! This is the very first time I saw him act naturally, I mean of all the role he had been thru its all over acting but this time he did well I can say. Angelica? Wow! I knew it from the very first time I saw her from her previous exposures she can be hot as of what she did in this marvelous act. She blew away all her audiences with her new arrive, at least I am! Damn how I wish I were Jericho! I mean only in the film okay. Hes not that of a matinee idol for me. As of the others they all did well, I mean they surely made every move of the main cast very easy. When youre doi ng a project like that with Johnny Delgado and Cherry Pie Picache that must be something right? You know what I mean. What more can I say, this film had really captured my inner soul for it is really something. For now a day you cant really get values and all that from just any film. You see this masterpiece of Laurice guillen really has so many values and ideas to share with the audiences. Looking now in this lifetime people just go busting peoples life coz their full of negative emotions. Our youth had just gone wild with out even knowing who is it they really need to look up to. As I have observed, this film shows that a human being just go back to whom they should really give praise, serve and obey when their so desperate enough to get what they want. Without even looking how hard our Lord suffers from the sins he didnt even commit. And so what do people do if their long so wishes aren ...

The Nature and Purpose of an Organizations Vision Essay

The Nature and Purpose of an Organizations Vision Essay The Nature and Purpose of an Organizations Vision – Essay Example ï » ¿The Nature and Purpose of an Organization’s Vision 1. What is meant in Porter’s Five Forces Model by competitive pressure coming from suppliers? What are the market conditions that could create an opportunity in this area? What will make this an opportunity? Competitive press pressure from suppliers is known as â€Å"supplier power† and generally speaks to the fact that industry or businesses require inputs of raw materials such as labor, parts, or other supplies. Accordingly, there are relationships between companies that offer goods and services and the suppliers of raw materials. Supplier power occurs when suppliers are able to exert pressure on markets to increase costs to manufacturers. The market conditions contributing to such power include; times when there is a threat of forward integration by suppliers (when the supplier can acquire the distributor or compete directly), times when suppliers are concentrated into just a few firms (like the pharmaceutical industry), if conditions exist where there is a high cost to switch suppliers (say, if Apple stopped making Mac computers), or there is a powerful customer base (like boycotts). The opportunity in this market (if you are a supplier) is to raise prices to capture some of t he industry profits from wholesalers, or increase R&D to forward integrate into a direct competition with wholesalers. 2.Describe the nature and purpose of an organization’s vision? What impact should a vision have on the remaining parts of the strategic process? Organizational vision is the primary driver for the firm’s existence. In the form of a mission statement or vision statement, the company sets forth its values, the things the company wants to achieve, and the things management sees as future opportunities for the organization. The vision is vital to the strategic process as it frames the company’s strategic objectives and provides measurable goals and metrics. These will involve things like guiding the company’s position within its competitive market by establishing metrics such as the organization’s reputation (customer service), its penetration (market share), or its product and service bundle (quality). 3.What is meant by a balanced scorecard? How would you use such a scorecard to address both short and long-term outcomes? A balanced scorecard is when management has set the financial performance goals and the strategic performance goals in conjunction with each other. Financial performance is measured internally, e.g., ratios, profits, and operating costs, and strategic performance goals are measured externally, e.g., market share, competitive strength, and market penetration. These goals are set within time parameters to provide benchmarks in both the short- and long-term. The balanced scorecard is used to address outcomes by looking at both financial and strategic metrics in combination. Focusing solely on financial performance causes the company to become insular and it is likely to miss opportunity. Focusing solely on strategic position can create disaster if the company is losing money and management does not take steps to correct the conditions. When both of these elements are being utilized, the company has maximum opportunity for success. 4.How would you define what constitutes effectiveness of an existing strategy? What tools or processes would you use to evaluate such effectiveness? How would you use them? Simply stated, the definition of an effective strategy is one that works, i.e., one that accomplishes the vision of management. The determination of what â€Å"works† is the reason that companies develop evaluation tools so that management can understand where it is in terms of both market performance and industry benchmarks. The process flow for good evaluation involves five steps: 1. Establish exactly what key indicators are going to be measured. 2. Establish the desired values for these indicators. 3. Measure the indicators defined. 4. Compare the measured indicators with the desired values set forth. 5. Change internal processes or external focus to bring the company in line with the desired values. These are used by applying the process to any specific aspect of the vision. For example, if the vision is to be the cost leader in a market, the key indicators may be the competitor’s pricing, and the desired value for the company would be set at a point where it is lower than the competitor’s but still profitable. Management would then measure the indicators to see if the pricing was set correctly. If, for example, management found that its price was profitable but exactly the same as the competition, it would adjust its pricing points lower to increase volume and profits. 5.Under what conditions would a Broad-Differentiated strategy be most appropriate? How would the organization have to operate to execute this strategy? This strategy, which seeks to provide a very unique product to all segments of the market, is appropriate when the company has the opportunity to convince customers that its uniqueness is a superior quality, and that the price is justified. The conditions for propriety of executing this strategy include; having access to new information with an emphasis on R&D, a strong creative pool for product design, a strong sales and marketing department that can effectively demonstrate the strengths of the product, as well as a good corporate reputation for quality (and innovation).

Input without Wires Technology †Computer Science Essay (100 Level Course)

Input without Wires Technology – Computer Science Essay (100 Level Course) Free Online Research Papers Input without Wires Technology Computer Science Essay (100 Level Course) On any given day, you encounter wireless technologies being used for a wide range of communications. Televisions remote controls, baby monitors, remote garage door openers, and cellular telephones, for example, all use wireless technologies to communicate with other devices. Wireless technologies also allow input devices, such as the keyboard and mouse, to communicate with a computer. A wireless keyboard and wireless mouse communicate with a computer using one of two wireless technologies: infrared or radio frequency technology. Infrared technology uses light waves to transmit signals to other infrared-enabled devices. Infrared-enabled devices, such as a notebook computer or PDA, have a small, red plastic-covered IrDA (Infrared Data Association) port that transmits and receives signals. Infrared technology, however, only can transmit signals approximately three feet, and the two IrDA ports must be in direct line with each other to communicate. Given the clutter on most people desk and the constant movement of a mouse, infrared technology is not the ideal solution for wireless input devices (Patsch 4-15). With radio frequency (RF) technology, devices communicate signals at least six feet without a clear line of sight . Even piles of paper, books, and other desktop items will not degrade the communication among the wireless keyboard and the mouse and the computer. Given these advantages, most users prefer a wireless keyboard and mouse that use radio frequency technology instead of infrared (Wireless Input). Connecting a wireless keyboard and mouse using RF technology requires two parts: a transmitter and a receiver. The radio transmitter is inside the wireless keyboard or mouse. The radio receiver plugs into a keyboard port, mouse port, or USB port. Once the receivers are plugged in, the computer recognized the devices as if they were connected by a cable . Patsch, Jason G. â€Å"Buying and Installing Wireless Hardware.† Future Technology Magazine. September 2006: 4-15 Wireless Input. Shelly Cashman Series. Course Technology. 10 Oct. 2006. www.scsite.com/wd20032e/pr2wc2.htm. Zataq, Pamela T. and Roger D. Lang. The Wireless World of the Future. New Jersey: Griffin Books, 2006. Research Papers on Input without Wires Technology - Computer Science Essay (100 Level Course)Incorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Project Managment Office SystemPETSTEL analysis of IndiaBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfOpen Architechture a white paperInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementGenetic EngineeringPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy

Just War Theory and Christian Peace Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Just War Theory and Christian Peace - Assignment Example Under the just cause argument, just cause may be defined in terms of a response to the crime of aggression, the unlawful violation of the principle of nonintervention. If aggression is being viewed as a crime in accordance to the international law, then states have a right to respond to aggression with force, given that there is no world government or world police force to espouse international law. Most importantly, the moral rationalization for intervening in the affairs of such States would be based upon considerable, clear, irrefutable evidence of their support for terrorists, which is very intricate at best to bring into being, for instance, the lack of tangible evidence that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and Iraq’s support for terrorism. Right authority was a different intervention that has also been used to respond to the issue on terrorism. Most significantly, right authority required an official declaration of war, which includes a bill of particulars that clearly articulates the moral justification and aims of the war. The other measure that the Christians undertook was to use reasonable hope of success. This criterion entailed calculation that using force would re-establish peace. This stipulation represents an attempt to protect the citizens, nonmilitary and military alike, from the imprudence and/or immoral ambitions of their leaders. The most important and very precious means were the Last Resort. This last criterion mandated that the use of force shall be the last resort, and that adequate nonviolent attempts to resolve the conflict is made and have failed. If all attempts at nonviolent conflict resolution were being reasonably made and while the conflict or threat persisted, then the criterion of last resort would have been met. Even though, the judgment that last resort can never be known with absolute certainty, a considerable effort must be made to resolve the conflict diplomatically in spite of imminent threat.

Language Diversity in International Management Teams Essay - 3

Language Diversity in International Management Teams - Essay Example Just like a delicate flower which has, for the first time, opened its brilliant petals in a show of defiance against the mundane, the skier illustrates their prowess for danger by their first hill selection. The individual also looks for potential obstacles which can block their path on the way down, making a mental map to avoid various trees or boulders on their decided path. A skier is a strategist, paying careful attention to potential roadblocks and then determining the most appropriate course of least resistance. A skier is a sea of troubles. All new skiers inevitably collide with others during their first trips down the mountain as they become familiar with their surroundings. Some laugh at their incompetence and others do not, much like in the real world where one cannot make everyone happy no matter how hard they attempt to do so. A skier is a carnival ride. The beloved Octopus ride, with this gyrating and spinning two-man cars, lurches side to side and vertically, rocking the carnival scene with a wild presentation of shaking and the provision of laughing riders. A new skier who has not yet mastered the art of balance will flail their arms wildly about, lurching down the hill in the awkward frenzy, giggling at their own inefficiency as they gyrate down the slope. Language plays a very important role in the critical thinking process, due largely to the fact that language is used to promote positive social interaction, improve interpersonal comprehension, and overcome certain social misunderstandings (Vogler, 2007). Critical thinking involves being able to assess the person’s environment or situation and look for an appropriate response or solution to the scenario by using logic, reasoning, persuasion, or simply good judgment based on social expectations.  

Protien refording Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Protien refording - Essay Example During initial production and isolation of proteins, many factors such as overproduction, solvent interactions, mechanical interference, or others may result in the denaturation of proteins. Understanding protein folding involves understanding both the energy landscape of the protein system, and refolding techniques have been significantly improve as time-resolved techniques, including neutron scattering, have been developed and perfected by researchers around the globe. The techniques involve observation of protein dynamics in order to assess the critical point of refolding, information which can lead to the development of refolding solutions (Bu et al. 2001). Neutron scattering and similar inventive techniques, such as stopped-flow florescence. In order to scale up for commercial use, protein refolding techniques must be scale invariant, compatible for a large range of proteins, simple to automated, and overall economical. Methods that rely on denaturant dilution and column-based methodology generally will meet these criteria (Middelberg 2002). The technology of refolding has grown exponentially in the past decade, and new methods must be carefully designed to facilitate the automated and rapid determination of the conditions that must be met for refolding in order to be commercially viable. It, however, remains to be seen if researchers can translate new technologies—and possibly even the discovery of a new protein state—into technology that will improve efficiency in bimolecular research industries. Before use, proteins are generally solubilised before use in high concentrations of quanidinium chloride (GdmCl) and urea (De Bernardez 1998 and Schwarz et al. 1998). Either of these two solvents may cause certain proteins to denature, and refolding involves diluting to a low concentration zone.

Fashion Industry Through H&M and GAP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Fashion Industry Through H&M and GAP - Essay Example This showed that the Gap is interested in these charities, too. Also, the Gap on their web page has emphasized their socially responsible projects. H&M also targets young people, and they also stress corporate responsibility, as this is part of their web page, telling about their activities in protecting the environment. Additionally, on their web page, H&M has a social media room, where people can post on the wall, tweet and read blogs about fashion.   H&M indicates that they get their fashion ideas from designer runways, then â€Å"rip them off’† and bring the ideas to their stores. For instance, H&M’s blog states that Prada might consider using them for reproducing their skirts and shirts, and their designer, Zara, goes to the fashion shows and copies the looks, trends and designs. So, basically, H&M’s claim to fame is that they get the ideas from the runway, then pares it down to affordable prices, so that designer looks can be had for less. The Gap is a bit different, as they do not emphasize couture, so they probably do not get their ideas from the runways. What they emphasize is classic – â€Å"modern, sexy, American, cool† is their motto. Therefore, the ideas that they emphasize are different, seasonal takes on classic designs, with less emphasis on runway looks and more emphasis on what has been popular for ages, then put different twists on these looks. Both GAP and H&M outsource all of their manufacturing, mostly to Asia. This means that the companies have to worry about getting the clothing into the distribution warehouses and out to individual stores. How do these companies control their transportation costs?   With H&M, they control transportation costs by concentrating their stores on the coasts, and virtually neglecting the Midwest. Their stores are concentrated into clusters, which means that there is less fuel to be spent going from store to store. Also, the stores that are not on the coasts are still by bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes, which is another way that merchandise may be transported.  Ã‚  

Zappos Case Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Zappos Case Study - Assignment Example This prompted him to create an online retail site specializing in footwear which grew to give rise to Zappos.com (Frances, Robin and Laura, 2011). From its inception Zappos value proposition has been to create and deliver to each customer a WOW experience. They are able to achieve this by simply empowering their workforce to deliver a shopping experience that is irresistible. They provide unrivalled customer service and free fast shipping , while at the same time offering almost one thousand two hundred and fifty brands and two million eighty hundred thousand products. As a result of this strategy they have a fanatical customer loyalty with up to 75% being repeat customers (Zappos, 2011). Zappos ability to create and capture value emanates from their nearly obsessive passion to create customer satisfaction and good customer relationships. In fact customer’s loyalty is of such great importance to Zappos that it is their primary goal to be the best customer experience and customer service company. They have a culture that runs deep down and that is customer-focused (Scribd, 2012). In order to create and capture value, Zappos directly invests huge amount of money into customer service. They will only hire employees who are customer-oriented who are able to fit into their culture of optimal employee satisfaction. Even after employing people who are customer-oriented, they further train these individuals thoroughly the art of creating customer loyalty. Zappos approach to creating and capturing value is customer centric. They make use of such strategies as offering free delivery for products purchased, they even allow for free returns when a customer is not happy wi th the product and they also have a 365 day return together with periodical service upgrades. As a result, 75% of their sales emanate from current customers and still have a tremendous rate of growth despite the poor economy (Sam Houston State University, 2011). Zappos have also developed a service culture which is built around ten core principles which stipulate that every new employee has to take four weeks of customer training on loyalty. Their employees are committed to their work and build life long relationships with customers. They make use of social sites for networking and making contact with customers and in the process obtaining invaluable customer feedback and criticism (Sam Houston State University, 2011). The growth and success at Zappos is also attributable to a good corporate culture. The culture at Zappos promotes and encourages employees to be themselves. The employee culture at Zappos is focused on good customer service and is of one mind. They care that the custo mer is happy with the product that he or she chooses to buy. This culture of customer satisfaction is entrenched deep into the beliefs of the employees, their interactions with customers and their hiring protocols. During the hiring process, there are two sets of interviews that are done. One set of interviews is done by the hiring manager together with her or his team. During this stage they check for the basics like relevant experience, and technical ability of the job applicants. The second set of the interview involves the HR department who perform the interview for the sole purpose assessing for culture fitness. They examine whether the individuals would easily fit into their culture (Fast Company, 2012). Zappos culture is built around ten core values. These values include: Deliver WOW through good service, drive and embrace change, creating a little weirdness and fun, humility by employees, be determined and passionate, do more with a little, being creative,

Advanced corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Advanced corporate finance - Essay Example In such scenarios, three forms of remunerations can be noteworthy. The first among these is the ‘share based compensation model’ that helps the managers as well as the employees to serve for better growth in the share pieces of a company, without affecting the cash reserves and therefore, ensuring financial stability. Nevertheless, the management may be concerned about the fact that potential hostile bidders may bid for the company in case it maintains a lower share price, whilst increasing price is certain to prohibit such take-overs. It is also likely that the short-term shareholders may create pressure for achieving the returns that will create a potential damage for the company through the reduction of its intrinsic value. Majority of the times managers have to face pressure from the top-level management as well. Notably, as the shareholders always seek for a high dividend from the company, in order to retain these investors as well as increase their numbers, manager s often get lured to deliver constantly increasing profit margin that in turn tends to facilitate returns, which may benefit the shareholders but will create potential damage to the company in long run. It is thus that a manager may unintentionally harm the company by increasing the dividends irrespective of insufficient cash reserves or increase in the leverages. Manager’s loyalty and satisfaction from the company, indicating his/her intention to be a part of the entity, also play vital roles influencing their strategic intents to increase current share prices. From debt-holders, shareholders can expropriate wealth in various forms, which mainly include underinvestment, asset substitution and shortsighted investment among others. For example, underinvestment can take place if the Net Present Value (NPV) is lesser than the debt to be borne by the investors. Assuming that two economies have equal rate of yield earned from

Fashion Industry Through H&M and GAP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Fashion Industry Through H&M and GAP - Essay Example This showed that the Gap is interested in these charities, too. Also, the Gap on their web page has emphasized their socially responsible projects. H&M also targets young people, and they also stress corporate responsibility, as this is part of their web page, telling about their activities in protecting the environment. Additionally, on their web page, H&M has a social media room, where people can post on the wall, tweet and read blogs about fashion.   H&M indicates that they get their fashion ideas from designer runways, then â€Å"rip them off’† and bring the ideas to their stores. For instance, H&M’s blog states that Prada might consider using them for reproducing their skirts and shirts, and their designer, Zara, goes to the fashion shows and copies the looks, trends and designs. So, basically, H&M’s claim to fame is that they get the ideas from the runway, then pares it down to affordable prices, so that designer looks can be had for less. The Gap is a bit different, as they do not emphasize couture, so they probably do not get their ideas from the runways. What they emphasize is classic – â€Å"modern, sexy, American, cool† is their motto. Therefore, the ideas that they emphasize are different, seasonal takes on classic designs, with less emphasis on runway looks and more emphasis on what has been popular for ages, then put different twists on these looks. Both GAP and H&M outsource all of their manufacturing, mostly to Asia. This means that the companies have to worry about getting the clothing into the distribution warehouses and out to individual stores. How do these companies control their transportation costs?   With H&M, they control transportation costs by concentrating their stores on the coasts, and virtually neglecting the Midwest. Their stores are concentrated into clusters, which means that there is less fuel to be spent going from store to store. Also, the stores that are not on the coasts are still by bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes, which is another way that merchandise may be transported.  Ã‚  

Advanced corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Advanced corporate finance - Essay Example In such scenarios, three forms of remunerations can be noteworthy. The first among these is the ‘share based compensation model’ that helps the managers as well as the employees to serve for better growth in the share pieces of a company, without affecting the cash reserves and therefore, ensuring financial stability. Nevertheless, the management may be concerned about the fact that potential hostile bidders may bid for the company in case it maintains a lower share price, whilst increasing price is certain to prohibit such take-overs. It is also likely that the short-term shareholders may create pressure for achieving the returns that will create a potential damage for the company through the reduction of its intrinsic value. Majority of the times managers have to face pressure from the top-level management as well. Notably, as the shareholders always seek for a high dividend from the company, in order to retain these investors as well as increase their numbers, manager s often get lured to deliver constantly increasing profit margin that in turn tends to facilitate returns, which may benefit the shareholders but will create potential damage to the company in long run. It is thus that a manager may unintentionally harm the company by increasing the dividends irrespective of insufficient cash reserves or increase in the leverages. Manager’s loyalty and satisfaction from the company, indicating his/her intention to be a part of the entity, also play vital roles influencing their strategic intents to increase current share prices. From debt-holders, shareholders can expropriate wealth in various forms, which mainly include underinvestment, asset substitution and shortsighted investment among others. For example, underinvestment can take place if the Net Present Value (NPV) is lesser than the debt to be borne by the investors. Assuming that two economies have equal rate of yield earned from

Functional Assessments and Intervention Strategies Essay Example for Free

Functional Assessments and Intervention Strategies Essay Dewolfe (1997) discusses the relevant points on the book written by Reichle and Wacker (1997) about the effective approaches in terms of assessing challenging behaviors; and what are the intervention strategies that could be employed in order to decrease the risks for the development of a challenging behavior. According to Reichle and Wacker (1997), the most effective venue for the assessment of challenging behavior could be conducted in natural environments such as home, school and local community (para 2). Also, another key factor that must be kept in mind with regards to changing childrens challenging behavior is the idea that when one wants to change a behavior of a particular child, it necessarily follows, that the behavior of those people around her should also be changed. Effective interventions are also very relevant most specially the rate, quality and the effort that is given on the reinforcement (para 3). Reichle and Wacker (1997) also emphasized that Communications Based Interventions are the best approach in terms of dealing with challenging behavior (para 4). Such a type of intervention should be followed by a functional assessment that should be able to understand the child very well. In effect of this, what will one have is a communication based approach that perfectly matches the need of the child. The facilitation of an intervention program has been emphasized by Reichle and Wacker (1997) has to be conducted in natural settings. As such, the traditional notion that interventions should be normally done in clinics are no longer that patronized. Discussion The rate in which challenging behavior has been increasing now a days is understandable. On the advent of the 21st century where everything is in set to be in fast paced, most parents tend to forgot their responsibility to their children. On the first part of this paper, the author was able to enumerate the different causes and various risk factors of challenging behavior. In a nutshell, one could see that majority of the causes stem out because the mother fails to take care of her child during the prenatal stage and even during the early years of the child. Fox, Dunlap and Powell (2002) emphasized the necessity of early intervention during childhood in order to prevent the development of challenging behavior. In addition with this, the perception that problematic behaviors among toddlers and preschool-age children should not be dismissed as mere effects of his or her development stage. Rather, parents should be vigilant to see the patterns and the rate in which challenging behaviors occur and significantly think of a plan in order to address such a problem. The case of June is a good example on how a child develops challenging behavior during her life. June is perceived to be raised in a broken family. It could be implied that the source of family income is solely shouldered by her mother, hence leaving her and her siblings with small amount of time. In addition with this, the fact that June has two other siblings that her mother have to take care and worry about, further decreases the chance that June could be given appropriate attention and guidance. It is clear from the history of June and her other siblings that they somehow share the same patterns of behavior. Although the author could not completely distinguish if such is the result of how they are reared or maybe how did their mother take care of herself during pregnancy; but it could be seen that such a pattern of behavior is clearly evident to be existing within her family circle. The manner in which June was assessed, intervened and treated in her school could be seen as one of the most effective steps in which one could deal with challenging behavior. The team used a Communications Based Intervention (Reichle and Wacker (1997) in order to deal with the problem. One could recall that the manner in which the teacher talked to June allowed her to express her feelings and also allowed her to tell stories that upset her within the family and also within the school. In addition with this, the assessments that were made to June are done in a natural environment, such as her school. It could be recalled that various attempts are also made by Junes residential and community program placements, but such proves to be null. As such, the author perceived that the assessment at the school, wherein June spends mostly her time is a very effective approach because not only that she will be able to properly relate with her peers, such an approach will also pave the way for more understanding and willingness to support among her teachers. Reicle and Wacker (1997) emphasized the need of other people to also change their behaviors if they wanted to help a child with challenging behavior. It could be significantly noted that Laursen (2005) claimed that the team that is taking care and assisting June has also made an effort to make her educators understand the depth of her problem and how their support could help her to overcome her challenging behavior. In relation with this, the author wanted to introduce the notion of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) of Fox, Dunlap and Powell (2002) in order to change challenging behaviors among children. The PBS is tailored to meet the specific needs of the child and also takes into careful consideration all of the contexts in which problems with regard to challenging behaviors emerge. The model devised by Dunlap and Fox (1999) as cited from Fox, Dunlap and Powell (2002) creates an Individualized Support Program (ISP) that seeks to help the family and the childs care givers in order to change his or her difficult behavior. The ISP model revolves on two major steps which is the functional assessment and the person centered planning. The functional assessment focuses on accumulating detailed information about the childs behavior, activities, and other contexts that could be helpful for the family, taking into consideration the cause and effects of a particular behavior. Consequently, the person-centered planning centers on the expression of the childs dreams and other challenges that the child perceived to have within his or her family. After such, a behavior support plan will be created which is perfectly in accordance to the specific needs of the child.

Evolution of Computer Technology in Last 25 Years

Evolution of Computer Technology in Last 25 Years The advancement of the computing technology could commonly identify in 6 generations. The physical size of the computers significantly decreased from the first generation vacuum tube computers to third generation computers based on the integrated chip technology. Fourth and fifth generation computer technology increased computer chips efficiency by developing the very large scale integration (VLSI) and ultra large scale integration (ULSI) technology. (Halya, 1999) During the fifth generation computing, the idea of using multiple computer chips to solve the same problem flourished, which was based on the earlier design of parallel computing that was developed during the fourth generation. With the improvement of hardware, increased network bandwidth, and developing more efficient algorithms, massively parallel architectures allowed fifth generation computers to increase the efficiency of computing significantly. (Drako, 1994) This research paper is mainly going to discuss how the comp uter technology evolved from the end of the fifth generation to current day sixth generation computers. The improvement in microprocessor chips technology allowed millions of transistors to be placed on a single integrated chip, which opened the generation of computers based on ultra large scale integration, or ULSI. The 64-bit microprocessor was developed during this time and became the fifth generation chip we mostly use today. Even the older fourth-generation chip architecture concepts like Reduced Instruction Set Computers (RISC) and Complex Instruction Set Computers (CISC) derived the benefit of ULSI technology. During the fourth generation period, microprocessors were commonly classified into RISC or CISC type architectures. The difference between RISC and CISC were very clearly distinguishable. RISC has a very simple set of instructions which required a low number of transistors but needed a higher memory to do a task. CISC has more instructions set available compared to RISC which required more transistors but less memory space. (Hennessy, 1991) Due to the limited computing res ources, each programmer decided the specific chip type to deliver the endstate the application delivery. However, with the advancement of microprocessors, the 64-bit chip now has more transistors and memory address access available for computing. Today, the need of differentiating what used to be two main categories of the microprocessor is almost pointless because of the level of complexity in modern day 64-bit chips for both CISC and RISC. Many new CISC chips behave like RISC with the increased processor clock cycle while the new RISC has increased number of instructions available like CISC (Cole, 2015). Two of the most important hardware techniques used to improve performance during the fourth and fifth generation of computer development have been pipelining and caches. Both techniques rely on using more devices to achieve higher performance. Pipelining might have been available only to some mainframe computers and supercomputers during fourth generation computing; however, the technique became very common within computer architecture during the fifth generation computing which became the baseline for the sixth generation computer which uses decentralized computing process to perform as an artificial intelligence and neural network computing. Pipelining improves the throughput of a machine without changing the basic cycle time and increases performance by exploiting instruction-level parallelism. (Hennessey, 1991) Instruction-level parallelism is available when instructions in a sequence are independent and thus can be executed in parallel by overlapping. Unarguably, the pipelining technology led to faster speeds and better performances but the hardware performance couldnt keep up with the demand of even faster hardware that could facilitate applications that required processing a large amount of data or critical commercial transaction very fast. Addition to advances in pipelining, the advancement in cache memory technology also significantly enhanced performance of how computer access data. By creating a small pool of memory either in the actual processor or very close to it decreased the need of frequent access of data directly from the memory. This technique made cache memories one of the most important ideas in computer architecture. (Uri, 2010) Cache memories substantially improved performance by the use of memory. Cache memories were first used in the third-generation computers from the late 60s and early 70s, both in large machines and minicomputer. From the fourth-generation and on, virtually every microprocessor has included support for a cache. Although large caches can certainly improve performance, total cache size, associativity, and block size all directly impact the performance and have optimal values that depend on the details of a design. (Hennessey, 1991) Just like microprocessor and pipelining, the cache technology improved significantly last two decades. Traditional cache architectures are demand fetch, cache lines are only brought into the cache when they are explicitly required by the process. Prefetching increased the efficiency of this process by anticipating that some memory will be used near future, thus, proactively fetched into the cache. Earlier of prefetching was either done through software or hard ware prefetching. As the complexity of prefetching increases, some more recent research has looked at combining the imprecise future knowledge available to the compiler with the detailed run-time information available to hardware like programmable prefetching engine consisting of a run-ahead table that populates using explicit software instruction. (Srinivasan, 2011) With such advancement in core computer technologies, the ability to process data and store information truly became increasingly decentralized. From cloud to PC over IP technology, cheaper storage, faster processor, and higher bandwidth wide area network allowed the modern day computer to work in collaboration rather than isolation. If from the first generation to the fifth generation focused on improving the efficiency of the hardware to meet demands of software engineers, the current sixth generation is more about how human interacts with the computers to enrich human lives. Computers became smaller while still sufficient to process necessary application by itself or using servers through the internetwork. Everything has become smarter, faster, smaller, and connected. With the improved network and parallel computing, the sixth generation computers definitely getting closer to simulate how the human brain functions. Using basic algorithms, probability and statistic, and economic the ories, new computer technology could simulate human-like decision-making process to improve human lives and help to solve more complex issues. In the sixth generation, we are actually experiencing the true potential of commercial Artificial Intelligence. References Cole, Bernard, (2015). New CISC Architecture Takes on RISC. EE Times, Retrieved from http://www.eetimes.com Drako, Nikos, (1995) . An Overview Of Computational Science. The Computational Science Education Project Haldya, Micky, (1999). Computer Architecture. Biyanis Think Tanks; Chap 5, 26 27 Hennessy, John L. Jouppi,Norman P., (1991). Computer Technology and Architecture: An Evolving Interaction.Computer, vol. 24, no., 18 29 Srinivasan, James R., (2011). Improving Cache Utilization. Technical Report; no 800., 31 35 Uri, Cohen, (2010). From Caching to Space-based Architecture: The Evolution of Memory. Enterprise System Journal. Retrieved from https://esj.com/

The Role of Women in Religion :: Religion Religious Females Gender Essays

The Role of Women in Religion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The role of women in religious scripture dictates an inferior position in society. Beginning with the creation of Adam and then Eve, as his helpmate. Her purpose was that Adam would not be lonely. This origin provides the ground work for inequality of genders on the basis of religious scripture. The roles prescribed determined that women should be in a subordinate position to man. The female role and relationship with God is defined by the various books of the Old and New Testaments, the reported actions of Jesus Christ, and finally the Qur'an.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Initially, Old Testament describes women as the corrupter of man. However, through interpreting the action of Jesus Christ, we see that he holds women in equal roles as men, to include mention of female apostles. The New Testament does not promote equality but does mention the acts of Jesus. Finally, the Qur'an places women in a subservient role allowing men to keep their under control, by any means. Interpretations of the Gods word under the disguise of organized religion are the product of the gender discrimination of the time and continue to paint women as lesser creatures in the eyes of God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The books of the Old Testament, and variations, are recognized by the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths. Each paint women as the temptress responsible for the mistakes of men. Women were the cause of the first punishment given to mankind. Eve persuaded Adam to eat the forbidden fruit, from the tree of knowledge. For this act, inspired by woman, mankind was forever punished and expelled from paradise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many examples of woman’s negative influence in the Old Testament. In Genesis 19:30-36, Lot's two daughters made their father drunk with wine on two successive nights. Each daughter committed incest with her father, and became pregnant.8 This is illogical, if Lot was so drunk he probably could not have performed physically and it occurred over two separate nights. He could have been unwitting the first night but not the second. Again in Judges 16, Delilah seduced Sampson in order to find out the secret of his great strength. This ultimately led to Samson's death.8 1 Kings 11 describes how Solomon's many foreign wives and concubines convinced him to worship other gods and build Pagan temples. This led to his downfall.8 The moral to these stories seem to be that women are responsible for the mistakes and men are easily corruptible by women.

A Comparison of A Modest Proposal, Tartuffe, and Candide Essay

Writers use personality traits and events to change the classical ideals. Majority of the writer's focus is to change people's attitude's. Jonathan Swift, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin Moliere, Francois-Marie Arquet de Voltaire use characterization and plot to challenge the themes of the Neo-Classical period. In A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift challenges the Neo-classical period by creating a sense of instability in their way of thinking. He attacks the society by carelessly endorsing cannibalism in hopes to help Ireland through their economic crisis. He demonstrates this by humbly proposing and assuring "that a young healthy child, well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food." (Swift, 485) Implying that society should eat children shows that the individual (the child) is seen as an unimportant individual to society; therefore, is not valued when considering an effective resolution to their situation. This provides criticism to the Neo-Classical beliefs that society is more important than the individual. The Neo-Classic's logic and reasoning aspect is attacked by Swift's persuasion that eating a child is a valid response to help fix their oppression. His introduction clearly states that his purpose is" for Preventing the Children of poor People in Ireland, from being a Burden to their Parents or Country, and for making them beneficial to the Publick." (Swift 483) His reasoning for the proposal is ultimately satisfied through his sound thinking that evidently has nothing to do with his feelings about the matter. The narrator than proceeds to give the audience justification of his statement, and therefore attempting to challenge the Neo-Classic's fact that logic a... ...s. Dr. Pangloss's blind optimistic approach allows him to forget about the fighting that is occurring amongst people and he only sees love. Satirical approaches to writing were used to change the captivated way of thinking during the late 17th and 18th centuries. The Neo-Classic time period contributed in the expansion of people's view of life. Works Cited Swift, Jonathan. "The Norton Anthology of World Literature." A Modest Proposal. W.W> Norton & Company: New York and London, 2002. 483-489. Moliere, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. "The Norton Anthology of World Literature." Tartuffe. W.W> Norton & Company: New York and London, 2002. 313-361. Voltaire, Francois-Marie Arquet de Voltaire. "The Norton Anthology of World Literature." Candide. W.W> Norton & Company: New York and London, 2002. 520-580.

Annotated Bibliography Essay

In order for NHS to satisfy its requirement to transmit large medical imaging files in a timely and secure manner, they must be able to subscribe to circuits of the appropriate bandwidth at each remote office to address the local needs. Unfortunately, the remoteness of some of these locations have resulted in the limitation of network connectivity options. Therefore, the cost-effective alternative to expensive, high-bandwidth internet circuits is to use a WAN optimization solution. A WAN optimization solution consists of a network appliance at each location that focuses on increasing network performance. It accomplishes this through the use of a combination of data compression, content and object-caching, data deduplication and protocol optimization. A WAN optimization appliance works in conjunction with the available bandwidth at a location. The host site would have an appliance that would build ‘acceleration tunnels’ to each of the appliances located at the remote sites. The appliances at the remote sites would be sized based upon the number of users and the available bandwidth at that location. This solution has a number of advantages. It is a very cost-effective approach. Higher bandwidth circuits in remote areas tend to be expensive. The purchase of network appliances are normally a capital expenditure that can be amortized over the life of the product. This timeframe is normally 3 to 5 years. On the other hand, the addition of larger circuits is an operational expenditure that incurs a higher recurring cost on a monthly basis. Secondly, these appliances are transparent to the end user. They do not require additional software on the users’ computers, or require any special setup on a per-user basis. NHS would very likely fall into the Early Adopters category in the Technological Acceptance Curve for this solution (Rogers, 2003). These individuals quickly buy into an idea when the possibility of real benefits have been established. They are primarily concerned with finding a strong match between their needs and the expected benefits (Moore, 1999). The use  of WAN optimization appliances would be an excellent fit for NHS and would be easily accepted by NHS management due to the ability to provide an optimal, technical and cost-effective resolution to the issue they are facing at the remote locations. This solution would allow them the means to meet their requirement to transmit large data files. References Rogers, Everett (2003). Diffusion of Innovations (5th Edition). New York, NY: Free Press Moore, Geoffrey (1999). Crossing the Chasm. United States: Harper Business Essentials